| General Description | A broadleaf shrub/small tree, with a relatively open and upright form and medium growth rate. Large, vibrant bottle-brush inflorescences are present at the terminus of each branch. |
| ID Characteristic | Smooth grey bark and ovate/oblong leaves with dentate margins. Bottlebrush inflorescence comprised of grey flowers with bright scarlet styles. |
| Shape | An upright shrub, which is sparsely branched, growing 4 – 8 m in height and 4 m in width by maturity. |
| Landscape | This plant can be tricky to grow in the open, but it is highly valued for it’s flowers and as a result is cultivated commercially in Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. |
| Propagation | Cuttings have difficulty rooting, so commercial propagation is all done by seed. Follicles must be heated to 140°C for the seeds to be obtained, however the seeds themselves do not actually require heat treatment to germinate. When planting, the wing of the seed should be pointed up and the seed should be covered lightly with soil. The soil should then be kept warm and moist, germination will occur within 3 to 6 weeks. |
| Cultivation | Banksia coccinea should be planted in open, sunny or mostly-sunny locations. This plant prefers sandy, well-drained soil, which is low in nutrients, particularly phosphates. This plant thrives in low humidity and with low levels of precipitation. It is susceptible to frost and does not grow well in clay soils, however it is very drought tolerant once established. |
| Pests | Highly susceptible to Phytophthora cinnamomi, commonly called root rot or dieback, which occurs during periods of excessive rain or overwatering. Also, the leaves may potentially become chlorotic if the soil contains phosphate levels which are too high. |
| Notable Specimens | Notable specimens may be viewed in the Sterling Range Garden Bed of the Banksia Garden at Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth, Australia. |
| Habitat | Can be found growing naturally on the grey or white sand of coastal sand dunes, sandplains and swamp margins. Grows on deep sandy, acidic soil in scrubby or low woodland areas with an annual rainfall between 4 cm and 8 cm. Two cultivars, Banksia coccinea ‘Waite Flame’ and B. coccinea ‘Waite Crimson’ are horticultural in origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Smooth grey bark with lenticels not visible. Fresh growth can be blue-grey to pink in colour, and is tomentose. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Dormant buds are miniscule (less than 1 mm), round, green, tomentose and the scales are in an imbricate arrangement. Multiple terminal buds remain hidden beneath the persistent seed follicles until they sprout. |
| Leaf Description | Leaves are ovate or oblong, with a truncated apex and dentate margin. 3 – 9 cm in length, 2 – 7 cm wide, with a 5 mm petiole, arranged alternately. Leaves have pinnate venation, with a light to medium green adaxial surface, and a greyish-white abaxial surface. They are tomentose, giving them the texture of velvet. |
| Flower Description | Flowers are arranged in vertical columns of two, around a woody stalk, giving a bottle brush appearance. The inflorescence is approximately 4 – 8 cm in length and 8 cm in diameter. Individual flowers have a grey, tomentose corolla which is approximately 3 cm in length, and a long, recurved, scarlet style which straightens out at the time of anthesis. An average inflorescence has between 100 and 200 individual flowers. Flowers bloom from late winter to early summer (June to January) and are pollinated by nectar-feeding birds. |
| Fruit Description | Fruits consist of a tomentose collection of elliptical, woody follicles, 7 mm in length, each housing a winged seed that is 3 – 5 mm in length. Fruit persists on the plant until fire opens the follicles and disperses the seeds. Often, only very few flowers are pollinated, producing few seeds. |
| Colour Description | Light to medium green foliage on grey bark. New growth can range from a pinkish colour to bluish silver-grey. Flowers are a combination of grey and bright scarlet. |
| Texture Description | Very coarse, almost jagged appearance that persists year-round. |